Aermach offers the highest quality of supply chain solutions to the aerospace sector, specialising in the sale and lease of airframe engines, and other component parts. It’s been a difficult few years for the aero sector, but demand for refurbished aviation materials is beginning to see a significant upwards turn, as air travel starts to pick up again following the Covid crisis. During 2021, AerMach started to recognise indications of an impending surge in business, and to ensure demand didn’t outstrip capacity, acquired a new headquarters in a lively business park near Cardiff City Centre.
An large empty unit in the Welsh capital presented itself to Aermach, and this forward-thinking, ambitious company snapped it up, before commissioning Powell to develop a clever space plan with heaps of sophisticated architectural logic to transform an unimaginative, restrictive blank canvas into a functional, multi-purpose, creative workspace. To counter a limited floor-space and the constraints associated to it, Powell immediately peaked AerMach’s interest (and alleviated their concerns) by proposing an internal mezzanine – almost doubling the size of the facility by maximising the use of the available facility height. This empowered Aermach to really expand their potential and introduce a number of desirable, and previously unachievable spaces, such as those for tasks, meetings, social areas and storage. Powell’s proposal of a now two-storey structure, complete with enclosed office spaces, modern, floor-to-ceiling glass partitions and luxurious client hosting area was greeted with great enthusiasm.
Images below are prior to the refurbishment.
AerMach was invited to Powell’s showroom to meet the wider Powell team, discuss the project requirements to make certain that all parties were working towards the same common goal. Project Manager, Alex Thau and Operations Director, Gareth Knight, used their industry expertise to propose concepts based on AerMach’s brief ensuring the client had every opportunity to feed into the creative process, but also benefit from Powell’s hard-won industry expertise.
“Sophisticated design is where logic meets inspiration. The existing floorspace was far smaller than the amount of space required, so the concept of a mezzanine was quite an early development. Once you start proposing significant changes for example doubling the available space, it can be really tough to get your client to visualise what an end result may look like. That’s why our team of Interior Designers use software like Revit (CAD), which turns concepts to reality walking through your proposal, seeing the specification and placement of furniture and accessories, getting a feel for the transition from one space to another and even allowing people to see the textures and colours of spaces. Getting real-world walkthroughs of your proposed spaces is really the best way of getting thatclear vision of what success will look like.”Gareth Knight.
The Powell team continued to work on the project, ensuing that the client could capitlising on the newly designed available space and applying the lessons learnt from the initial conversations and the client. High-quality 3D renders allowed Aermach to comprehensively immerse themselves into the design concept, while cleverly produced mood boards containing textures and elements of materials allowed for a more tactile experience with this turnkey solution.
Concept images below.
Powell’s first task was striping out a small foyer, giving way to a larger, more practical layout. An existing toilet cubical was removed and temporary racking was positioned against the walls, which ensured no business disruption during Powell’s fitout. Shortly after, two windows were created near the main facility entrance, ensuring natural light could filter through the ground floor and breathe new life into the facility.
Using longtime Powell partners Davicon, work commenced on erecting the large mezzanine structure over distribution centre. The two-story construction was designed with AerMach’s business ethos and prospective clients are the in-demand. Manifested glass partitions on the ground and first floor enable those situated inside the offices to look out to the warehouse area without interrupting operations essentially providing a viewing gallery and connecting all employees to the heart of the business.
New power and lighting was installed throughout the facility, providing employees with a lighter, more modern feel to the space, as well as offering a safer warehouse environment for all. Inside the purpose-built offices, a black grid ceiling was installed mimicking the night sky, while suspended light fittings emulate the wings of an aircraft. Large-scale wallcoverings featuring AerMach’s products sit in pride of place in the main office, and refreshed paintwork, updated colour schemes and brand-suitable decorations give a real wow factor to both the workforce and clients as they arrive to the main office space.
The open-plan, main office includes a kitchenette for ease of access and enhanced workspace utilisation. This communal environment enhances the social factor, creating a more flexible workspace and empowering the organisation to improve communication and openness. To accommodate potential future business expansion, the floorplan has multiple power points, which have been installed discretely beneath carpet for additional for future use.
Complete refurbishment images below.
Step 3:The transformation and the client satisfaction.
Powell’s relationship with AerMach is going from strength to strength, and we look forward with great excitement to see the success of this venture.
“I can’t stress enough how pleased we are with the work Powell carried out for us. They managed to get us the space we needed, the design we wanted and the overall feeling we’d hoped for. The timetable and pricing were clear from the beginning, and it was all delivered on time and on budget moreover, the communication throughout was nothing short of excellent. I would absolutely recommend Powell to others.”
– Rhys Evans, Director at AerMach.
